[This week's guest-blogger is Eilat Glikman. Eilat holds an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. She studies dust reddened quasars and their role in quasar/galaxy co-evolution, as well as faint quasars at high redshifts. Eilat has two young children ages 7 and 4 and is dedicated to finding that elusive formula for work/life balance.]

When I decided to pursue a career in astronomy (and academia) I was not aware of the incredible amounts of travel required. I hate to travel, get stressed in the run up to a trip, am terrible at packing and get homesick quite easily. Of course, when I arrive at my destination I usually enjoy myself, whether it is observing and getting awesome data or going to a conference and having stimulating and vibrant discussions. Still, it was a rude awakening when I realized the extreme amounts of airline miles that some astronomers rack up (and the frequent flyer culture that ensues).

In response to my last post about the transition from Astronomer to Data Scientist many readers wanted to know the pros and cons of academia versus tech. Below I outline a few of the major differences between these career paths. Obviously, there is a lot of variety in individual companies, institutions, and experiences -- so please understand that the below is simply my (somewhat biased) perspective.

Back to top.3. Women On Boards of Sci/Tech/CS CompaniesFrom: Daryl Haggard [dhaggard_at_northwestern.edu]

[This article comes courtesy of the 'Women in Science' Forum, co-curated by Laura Hoopes of Pomona College and the American Association of University Women, on Nature's Scitable page.]

I don't know how you feel about putting women on governing boards of companies, but it would certainly not be too many, in my view, if 20% of boards were women. Here's a web site called 20/20 where efforts to increase women on boards to that level by 2020 are coordinated.

Robert Birgeneau, chancellor of UC Berkeley, will receive the 2012 Karl Taylor Compton Medal for Leadership in Physics. Birgeneau was cited "for his leadership in improving the situation for women in science in the United States and around the world, his efforts to enhance diversity in science and for deepening our understanding of magnetism and its interplay with other states of matter."

Back to top.5. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and EngineeringFrom: Daryl Haggard [dhaggard_at_northwestern.edu]

[This journal carries interesting articles on equity and best practices across STEM and may be of interest to you, our dear readers. -Eds]

The Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering Editor-in-Chief: Kimberly D. Douglas-Mankin

Aims and Scope: Designed as a unique and much-needed resource for educators, managers, and policymakers, the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering publishes original, peer-reviewed papers that report innovative ideas and programs for classroom teachers, scientific studies, and formulation of concepts related to the education, recruitment, and retention of under-represented groups in science and engineering. Discipline-specific issues related to women and minorities are consolidated to address the entire educational environment from K through post-graduate and on to continuing education. Included are explorations of feminist teaching methods, black student/white teacher interactions, cultural phenomena that affect classroom climate, and new questions to ask of science. The journal includes pertinent book reviews and "reports from the field" by women and men of color in academe, business, industry, and federal and state agencies.